About The Book
For some people, retirement dreams consist of comfy slippers and gardening. Not so David and Helene whose dream was of adventure.
They presented Audley Travel, specialists in creating tailor-made journeys to all corners of the globe, with the challenge of exploring the history, landscape, wildlife, people and food in fifteen countries over ten months.
Fortunately, they were up to the task so David and Helene traded their slippers and gardening gloves for 53 flights, 30 trains, 8 boats, 3 cruise ships, 1 light aircraft, 1 hot air balloon, a motorbike and sidecar, countless speedboats, taxis, tuk-tuks, cyclos, bicycles. And a disobedient horse.
Turning Left Around The World is an entertaining account of their adventure, often intriguing, frequently funny and occasionally tragic. Share their adventure, enjoy the surprises and meet some fascinating people with some unusual customs.
My Review
With thanks to the author for the copy received. I’ve always enjoyed a travelogue, they are the only type of non-fiction that I read but I have never read one that has so much detail or which has visited so many countries. I was familiar with only one of them and coincidentally we were in Melbourne at the same time as David and Helene. Like them, I recommend that you pay a visit to The Lanes if you go.
It was evident that they both had a wonderful time and that the destinations they chose were the right ones for them. It must be difficult to narrow down the most memorable moments when you spend a whopping ten months travelling. Some appealed to me more than others, the one that appealed most was Thailand, and the chapters that covered this part of the world were my favourite. They were followed by some visits that upset me a lot and they concerned Cambodia. I had heard of The Killing Fields but knew nothing about what happened. David describes meeting a survivor, and you could see how emotional this made him both in his writing and the photo at the end of the book.
The photos that are scattered throughout are brilliant. Some are of views and the people that they meet. Some are where the person in the shot were unaware. All of them are amazing.
I enjoyed the way they interacted with each other. David was more of a daredevil, Helene less willing to participate in some of the more risky activities and some of the dining opportunities. I would be more like Helene.
I read this book over a few days but it is one that you could read over a period of time. There will definitely be parts that I read again.
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